Packing container



NW P. ms sm 1333,8659

PACKING CONTAINER Filed Feb, 15, 1932 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1' n I, INVENTQR.T10 )"Z /M uses M0533! Or? Z7 Z5 ATTORNEYS.

'Nmm Z M. P. MOSESEAN 199339869 PACKING CONTAINER Filed Feb. l5,v 1932 2Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PACKING CONTAINER Moses P. Mosesian,Fresno, Calif.

Application February 15, 1932. Serial No. 592,918 R U 3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to devices for packing and shipping foodproducis and more particularly relates to containers for packing andshipping fresh fruits such as grapes, plums, pears and citrus fruits.

Some of the important factors controlling the proper construction ofcontainers for shipping fresh fruits and the like are:--strength towithstand more or less rough handling of the container during shipment;simplicity and economy of construction; design for protection of thefruit from bmising; and ventilation to insure preservation of the pack.

While some of the above mentioned factors have been taken into accountin the construction of many of the present type of packing containers,others of these controlling factors have been either overlooked entirelyor have been sacrificed in attaining but one of the desired results. Inother words, in present packing containers, strength, and simplicity andeconomy of construction have been stressed, while protection frombruising of the pack and ventilation thereof have been ignored. In othercontainers, while one or both of the latter factors may have beenconsidered to some extent, the others have been overlooked. Due to thelack of attention to all of these vital factors, the use of presentpacking containers, in general, has resulted either in damage orspoilage of the pack in shipment or damage of such extent to thecontainer that the pack is strewn about.

Broadly, it is an object of my invention to provide a packing containerwhich is particularly adapted for the shipping of fresh fruit and whichaffords proper ventilation of the pack so as to insure preservationthereof during the entire shipment; which avoids bruising of the packduring handling thereof; and which is ruggedly yet inexpensivelymanufactured.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageousfeatures thereof, will be set forth in the following description of thepreferred embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings:

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a part of an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective of an embodiment of another element of theinvention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, in cross section, of an entire embodimentof the invention illustrating a bunch of grapes substantially in packedposition.

Figure 4 is an end elevation, in cross section, of the embodiment of myinvention which is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a development of the element of the invention which isillustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a partial elevation of a modified embodiment of the elementof my invention which is shown in Figure 2.

In its preferred form, the packing container of my in ention preferablycomprises a receptacle having an apertured bottom and apertured sidewalls together with pack carrying means engaging and cooperating withthe inner faces of the walls and bottom of the receptacle to provide aninterior continuous passageway which communicates with the exterior ofthe receptacle and with the interior of said means, and extensions onsaid means projecting from the walls of the receptacle tohold the packout of contact with the upper edges of said walls.

While the receptacle of my invention can be the standard lug boxemployed in shipping fruits, provided with holes in the bottom and sidewalls thereof, I preferably provide a receptacle, generally designatedas 11, which is somewhat similar to the conventional lug box and whichincludes a pair of side walls 12 and 13 and a pair of end walls 14 and16. However, the preferred embodiment of the receptacle 11 of myinvention differs from the standard lug box in that it, includes abottom made of a plurality of spaced slats 1'7 and 18 which span the endwalls 14 and 16 and which preferably are spaced from the side walls 12and 13 to provide longitudinally extending apertures 19, 21 and 22 inthe bottom between the slats 17 and 18 and adjacent to the side walls 12and 13 respectively. It should be observed also that the end walls 14and 16 are constructed so as to project above the side walls 12 and 13so that upon fitting a lid 23 to the receptacle, longitudinallyextending apertures 24 and 25 are provided in the side walls adjacent tothe lid.

The packing container of my invention also includes a false bottom orinsert 26, which engages the inner faces of the side walls 12 and 13,endwalls 14 and 16, and the bottom of the receptacle and in which thepack is disposed. The insert 26 conveniently can be fabricated of asingle sheet although it can be formed of a plurality of sheets, ifdesired. Preferably I employ a single sheet or a plurality of sheets offibrous material, but the sheet or sheets utilized can be any suitablematerial, such as veneer. If veneer is employed asthe material for theinsert 26, the veneer must be worked, as is well known, under a moistcondition in order to form the insert.

A development of the preferred embodiment of the insert is illustratedin Figure 5. It is to be noted that a sheet is or sheets are so stampedfrom a supply of the material that, upon folding the sheet or sheets,the insert 26 which is formed preferably includes a base 2'? having aplurality of slots 28 therein, a pair of inclined side walls 29 having aplurality of slots 30 therein, and a pair of inclined end walls 31having slots 32 therein and also provided with extensions 33. An insertof this character is illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and, asabove stated, preferably is formed of a sheet or a plurality of sheetsof fibrous material. Should it be desired to provide a veneer insert, asheet or sheets of veneer can be stamped in substantially the samemanner as when employing fibrous material in that the stamping can besuch as to provide an insert 26 with inclined slotted side and endwalls. In the veneer modification, I have found it desirable to line theupper edges of the inclined walls of the veneer insert with areinforcing strip 34 of any suitable metal, such as tin, to preventsplitting of the veneer adjacent the slots in the walls. (See Figure 6.)

In operative position, the bottom 27 of the insert 26 rests upon thebottom of the receptacle 11, with the slots 28 of the bottom 27registering with the longitudinally extending apertures 19 between thespaced slats 1'7 and 18 of the receptacle bottom, and the upper edges ofthe inclined side and inclined end walls 29 and 31 respectively of theinsert 26 engage respectively the side and end Walls of the receptacle.Further, the extensions 33 of the inclined end walls of the insertproject above the end 'walls of the receptacle 11 and can be foldedagainst the pack to hold the same out of contact with the upper edges ofthe receptacle end walls. The provision of the extension 33 on theinsert 26 is advantageous in that the extensions protect the pack frombecoming smashed or bruised upon placing a lid upon the receptacle priorto the shipment of the fruit.

The engagement of the insert 26 with the receptacle 11 affords, due tothe inclination of the side and end walls of the insert, a continuouspassageway 36 within the receptacle which is substantially bounded bythe insert and by the bottom, side and end walls of the receptacle. Itis to be understood, of course, that the angles between the bottom 27and. the end and side walls of the insert can be of any desired sizes toeffect the desired inclination of the side and end walls thereof. Theconstruction of the bottom of the receptacle 11, as well as the entireinsert, and the engagement of the insert with the receptacle is suchthat the passageway 36 communicates not only with the exterior of thereceptacle through the apertures 19, 21 and 22 of the bottom, but alsocommunicates with the interior of the insert through the slotted wallsthereof. Thus, ventila tion for the pack is amply afforded in thecontainer of my invention, for, in addition to providing for theadmission of air into the container at the base of the pack through theapertures 19 and slots 28, admission of air at the top of the packthrough the longitudinally extending apertures in the sides of thereceptacle 11 adjacent to the lid 23, I also provide for continuouscirculation of air about the pack by means of the interior passageway 36which communicates with the apertures 19, 21 and 22 of the receptacleand slots 30 and 32 of the insert.

A packing container constructed in accordance .with the foregoingspecification not only affords ample ventilation for the pack, therebyinsuring preservation of the fruit in its natural condition during theentire shipment. thereof, but also affords complete protection frombruising of the pack and provides a container which can be inexpensively manufactured and which is sufficient- 1y rugged to withstandsevere handling.

While I have shown the preferred embodiments of my invention in thedrawings, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to theembodiment illustrated as my invention, as defined by the appendedclaims, can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms.

I claim:

1. A packing container for use in shipping fresh fruits comprising areceptacle including a lid, a bottom having a plurality of aperturestherein, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls joining andprojecting above said side walls; said lid together with said side wallsforming apertures for the passage of air currents, and an insertengaging said bottom, said side walls and said end walls; said insertincluding a pair of inclined slotted ends and a pair of inclined slottedsides to provide, in conjunction with said receptacle, a continuouspassageway within said container communicating with the exterior thereofthrough the apertures in said bottom and with the interior of the insertthrough said slotted ends and said slotted sides whereby said fruit issubjected to circulating air, said insert also including extensions onsaid inclined ends each of which is foldable upon itself so as tooverlie a portion of the receptacle adjacent an end wall to protect thecontents of the container from being crushed against an end wall uponfitting a lid to the receptacle.

2. A container for use in shipping grapes or the like comprising areceptacle having a lid, a pair of ends, an apertured bottom and sidewalls; said lid together with said side walls forming apertures for thepassage of air currents, means for carrying the grapes, said meansengaging the inner faces of the walls, ends and bottom of thereceptacle, a passageway within said receptacle substantially bounded bysaid means and by the ends, walls and bottom of the receptacle; saidpassageway communicating with the exterior of the receptacle throughsaid apertured bottom and communicating also with the interior of saidmeans, and extensions on said means projecting from the ends of thereceptacle and adapted to be folded to keep the grapes out of contactwith said ends when the lid is fastened upon the receptacle. 7

. 3. A packing container for use in transporting fresh fruits such asgrapes and the like comprising an apertured bottom, a pair of sidewalls, a pair of end walls; said end walls projecting above said sidewalls, a lid; said lid'together with said side walls forming aperturesadjacent the top of the container for the passage of air currents, and afruit carrier engaging the interior surfaces of the end walls, bottomand side walls of the container, said carrier comprising a single sheetof material adapted to be folded upon itself to form a receptacleincluding an apertured base, a pair of apertured side walls and a pairof apertured end walls; said walls being inclined and cooperating withthe walls of the container to provide an unobstructed, closed passagewaywithin and about the container which communicates with the exteriorthereof through said apertured bottom as well as with the interior ofthe carrier through the apertured end and side walls thereof whereby aircurrents can freely circulate over and around the contents of thecarrier; said end walls of said carrier projecting above the walls ofthe container and adapted to be folded over the 1455 contents of thecarrier to prevent crushing of the contents thereof upon fastening thelid to the container.

MOSES P. MOSESIAN.

